Sonoma County SEIU members set to strike Tuesday

The largest group of unionized Sonoma County government employees is set to go out on a one-day strike Tuesday, protesting what it contends is a stingy contract offer from the county, bad faith in negotiating at the bargaining table and other issues it says amount to unfair labor practices.

Union officials for the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents more than half of the county's roughly 4,100 employees, say rank-and-file workers in purple SEIU shirts will demonstrate at a dozen locations throughout the county, mostly clustered in Santa Rosa.

The move comes two weeks after SEIU Local 1021 members voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The two sides have held more than 20 rounds of bargaining over four months, according to Lisa Maldonado, field director for the union. The current two-year contract ended Oct. 31.

'Sonoma County is experiencing a recovery with big increases in tax revenue, but they keep saying they don't have enough money for increases in compensation and health benefits,' Maldonado said. 'But we know that they do …   meanwhile workers are caught between stagnant wages, skyrocketing health care costs and rents that are out of control.'

The last time Sonoma County employees went on strike was in the early 1980s, according to a county spokeswoman.

Union officials are pressing for an 8 percent pay increase over two years, in addition to greater county contributions to cover the cost of employee health care. County officials said they've offered employees a 4 percent increase in total compensation — including pay and benefits — over 21 months.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Susan Gorin acknowledged that the county's economy has been rebounding and tax revenue is on the rise, but said much of the money the county has to negotiate with is in one-time funds.

The county 'has been working carefully and diligently to try and avoid exactly this action . . . but it's pretty difficult to consider using that money for ongoing cost-of-living increases,' Gorin said. 'Our employees' concerns about the cost of living and health care cost increases is legitimate, but the question is, what level of funding do we have available to meet the demands of SEIU, as well as all the other employees in the system?'

The contract talks with SEIU are key because they are likely to influence terms offered and reached in negotiations with the county's other 10 bargaining groups.

Officials said all county offices will remain open during the strike, but the public could experience significant delays in service. The Permit and Resource Management Department, the county's planning division, is expected to see a sharp decline in staffing if all union employees strike today — from 110 workers down to about 30, according to department officials.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.